As a baby boomer, Vietnam still seems like only yesterday to me. Maybe that’s why I’m one of the few people in this newsroom of mostly younger people who still finds the images of a former Navy pilot standing at Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi, where he was shot down in the war, so stunning, and something to contemplate.

About the blogger

Bob Collins has been with Minnesota Public Radio since 1992, emigrating to Minnesota from Massachusetts. He was senior editor of news in the ’90s, ran MPR’s political unit, created the MPR News regional website, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started several blogs, and every day laments that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.

NewsCut is a blog featuring observations about the news. It provides a forum for an online discussion and debate about events that might not typically make the front page. NewsCut posts are not news stories.